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2021 NES IFFGD 30th Anniversary Event

2021 NES 30th Edition

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders, we hosted a very special virtual edition of the Norton Education Series (NES). The Nancy and Bill Norton Patient Education Series Event: IFFGD’s Thirtieth Anniversary Edition was mix of pre-recorded videos and a live feed that took place Saturday, November 6th and Sunday, November 7th. William Chey, MD will Chair the Program Committee and Lin Chang, MD and John Pandolfino, MD served as Co-Chairs for this event. The Program Committee joined Ceciel Rooker, IFFGD President, in co-hosting the event.

This free virtual two day event includes medical education sessions and open panel discussion sessions.  In the Medical Education Session: Pathophysiology and Diagnostics, patients learn about information on the pathophysiology of different parts of the gastrointestinal (GI) system and the diagnostic tests often performed when symptoms are present.  The talks focus on symptom presentation (what is normal and when to be concerned) and what to expect from a diagnostic workup. In the Medical Education Session: Treatment Options, patients learn about information on treatment options (both pharmacologic and surgical) for disorders within different portions of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.  Also included in this session is information on behavioral treatments, dietary interventions and complementary and alternative medicine for GI disorders. Open Panel Discussion sessions will include presentations from healthcare providers and patients, as well as, recorded discussions between the speakers on the panel. The keynote lecture was delivered by Dr. Douglas Drossman, a longtime friend of IFFGD, and our founders, Nancy and Bill Norton, and will cover the history of FGIMDs and IFFGD.

Bonus Virtual Pediatric Program:

Agenda with Session Times and Note Taking templates

Select the button below to access printable program agenda with session start times and note-taking templates for each program session.  Templates are available in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF formats. 

This page is updated regularly.  Check back daily for the latest information.

Saturday, November 6, 2021

Session 1: Medical Education Session: Pathophysiology and Diagnostics

Session 1 (a)

Session 1 (b)

Gastrointestinal System Overview: Shanti Eswaran, MD
Dr. Shanti Eswaran

A native of California, Dr. Shanti Eswaran completed both her medical degree and internal medicine residency at the University of Michigan.  She went on to pursue her fellowship in gastroenterology at Columbia University Medical Center.  She served on the faculty at Northwestern University in Chicago and was thrilled to return to Ann Arbor as faculty in 2009.  She has a research interest in the role of diet and food in functional bowel diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome. Read more

Presentation Overview: Our digestive system is made up of a series of organs that allows our bodies to absorb nutrients and water from the food we eat.  As food travels through the digestive system it is broken down, sorted, and reprocessed before being circulated around the body to nourish and replace cells and supply energy to our muscles.  Read full overview

Heartburn and Reflux Dr. John Pandolfino
Dr. John Pandolfino

Dr. Pandolfino is the Hans Popper Professor of Medicine and Chief of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University.  His career has focused primarily on studying the biomechanics of bolus transport and gastrointestinal motility as it pertains to gastroesophageal reflux and swallowing disorders.  Read more

Presentation Overview: Esophageal symptoms may consist of heartburn, regurgitation, dysphagia (the sensation that food is not traveling through the esophagus), chest pain, or even food impaction. The differential diagnosis for these common esophageal symptoms is vast and could be Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE), Obstruction, Motility Disorder, or Functional Esophageal Disorder.  Read full overview

Disorders of the Stomach

Jan Tack, MD, PhD
Disorders of the stomach: Dr. Jan Tack
Dr. Jan Tack

Professor Jan Tack is currently a Head of Clinic in the Department of Gastroenterology, a Professor in Internal Medicine and head of the Department of Pathophysiology at the University of Leuven, and a principal researcher in the Center for Gastroenterological Research at the University of Leuven. 

He graduated summa cum laude in 1987 from the University of Leuven and specialized in internal medicine and gastroenterology at the same institution. Read more

Presentation Overview: The stomach is a complex organ that has many different functions. When complications in this organ arise, it can lead to gastric symptoms and a number of gastric motility disorders. In this presentation, Dr. Jan Tack provides a detailed description of symptoms related to gastric motility disorders, how disorders like gastroparesis and dyspepsia are diagnosed, and much more. 

Disorders of the Small Bowel

Lucinda Harris, MS, MD

Small Bowel Lucinda Harris, MD
Dr. Lucinda Harris

Lucinda A. Harris, MS, MD, is currently Associate Professor of Medicine, Mayo School of Medicine and Consultant, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic Scottsdale. She graduated from the University Of Connecticut School Of Medicine. She completed her Internal Medicine Residency at the New York Presbyterian Hospital of Columbia University and her fellowship in Gastroenterology & Hepatology at The New York Hospital /Weill Medical College of Cornell University. Read more

Presentation Overview: To understand small-bowel motility disorders it is important to understand what the small intestine is and what it does.  The small bowel also known as the small intestine isn’t really “small” at all.  It is a long tubular structure that is 20-22 feet long. It is referred to as the small intestine because of the smaller caliber of the lumen (cross-sectional area) of the small intestine. It consists of 3 parts called the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum.  These are names that are given to parts of the small bowel so that we have ways of referring to the parts of the small intestine.  Read full overview

      Disorders of the Colon and Rectum

       Baharak Moshiree, MD, MS-CI, FACG

Colon and Rectum Baharak Moshiree, MD
Dr. Baha Moshiree

Baha Moshiree, MD, MS-CI, FACG, is a Professor of Medicine and Director of Motility, in the Division of Gastroenterology at Atrium Health, in Charlotte, NC. She trained at the University of Florida for a combined undergraduate and medical school, later gastroenterology fellowship with a focus on functional bowel diseases and motility disorders. She has a master’s degree in clinical investigation and was on a National Institutes of Health (NIH) T32 grant.  Read more

Presentation Overview: There are many diseases/syndromes of colon and rectum, many of which are chronic (continuous or occurring over and over for a long time).  They include diverticulosis, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic constipation, colonic ischemia and sigmoid volvulus. Some common disorders such as diverticulosis, can be present even if there are no symptoms (asymptomatic). This presentation will also cover common issues in the rectum such as hemorrhoids and fissures. Read full overview

Short Bowel Syndrome :Adam Stein, MD,
Dr. Adam Stein

Dr. Adam C. Stein specializes in the evaluation and treatment of gastrointestinal disorders that involve the small bowel, including intestinal failure (malnutrition, malabsorption, short bowel syndrome, dysmotility, gastroparesis, etc.), celiac disease (and other forms of enteropathy), cystic fibrosis, and obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. Read more

Presentation Overview: Everyone needs to stay nourished and hydrated to survive.  If we don’t get enough fluids or nutrition, eventually our vital organs will malfunction, which leads to illness and even death.  In medicine, we call this process intestinal failure.  Intestinal failure is any condition that causes someone to get less nutrition or hydration than their body needs.  Read full overview

Surgeon Dr. David Mercer
Dr. David Mercer

Dr. Mercer is Professor of Surgery and Director of the Intestinal Rehabilitation Program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.  Originally from Edmonton, Canada, he came to Nebraska to be trained as a liver and intestine transplant surgeon.  He developed a love for intestinal rehabilitation during his training and it has become the main focus of his clinical career.  He heads a specialized program that looks after hundreds of children and adults Read more

Presentation Overview: According to Dr. David Mercer, many different surgeons are involved in the care of patients with short bowel syndrome (SBS), but very few should actually be involved in treating it. He states that healthcare providers who deal with emergency surgeries or operate when the bowel gets removed are necessarily the same who should provide care for patients when they already have short bowel. In this presentation, Dr. David Mercer covers the different types of surgery and how it relates to short bowel, the intricate steps to short bowel surgery, ways to manage short bowel without surgery and more. 

Patient perspective Swapna Kakani

Swapna Kakani is a sought-after professional speaker in the area of overcoming personal adversity, and an advocate in the area of healthcare delivery and the patient experience. Her inspirational life story shows audiences her individual resilience and self-determination in the face of constant difficulties, as well as the impact her healthcare advocacy has across disciplines. Swapna was diagnosed with Short Bowel Syndrome at birth due to atresia and has lived with supplemental intravenous nutrition for 28 years and counting and a feeding tube for 24 years.  Read more

Presentation Overview: In her presentation, Swapna shares parts of her 30 plus year journey with Short Bowel Syndrome and the key aspects she has learned to help her continue to move forward with a GI chronic disease. Swapna describes the mindsets she and her family had to have to live with Short Bowel Syndrome since birth, including adapting to a new normal and appreciating each day alive and healthy fighting for small and big milestones. Through the many ups and downs, and severe complications, Swapna has learned the importance of finding the right care, at the right place, at the right time, and what she cannot sacrifice in her daily care and thinking in order to live for tomorrow. Read full overview

Intestinal failure John Mahalchak

John Mahalchak is a chronic illness patient and Healthcare Advocate from Pittsburgh, PA.  John earned his BS in Psychology and Neuroscience from Allegheny College in 2010, and previously worked as a research lab coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh.  John was forced to take a medical leave of absence in 2013 to undergo a total pancreatectomy with auto-islet transplant, and has been battling various GI conditions since then.  In addition, John has a J-tube for nutrition, and a Hickman catheter for IV hydration.  Read more

Recorded Discussion on Short Bowel Syndrome (SBS) and Intestinal Failure

Session 2 Group – Supplemental Release (TBD)

Irritable Bowel Syndrome Dr. Lin Chang
Dr. Lin Chang

Dr. Chang is a Professor of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She is Vice-Chief of the Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases at UCLA, Co-Director of the G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, and Program Director of the UCLA Gastroenterology Fellowship Program. Dr. Chang’s clinical expertise is in disorders of gut-brain interactions which include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), chronic constipation, and functional dyspepsia.  Read more

Presentation Overview: More than 1 in every 4 adults in the United  States, Canada, and the United Kingdom has one of the six functional bowel disorders. In this presentation, Dr. Lin chang will define irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), review the diagnostic approach based on the Rome Criteria, review treatment options for IBS with diarrhea (IBS-D) and IBS with constipation (IBS-C), and much more. 

Deb Caton

Deb Caton is a 50-year-old mother of two teenagers, 16 and 17, and is currently a Content Developer with the Learning Organization at Dow Chemical in Midland, MI. Prior to this she taught high school and college-level English and psychology for about 17 years. She loves everything to do with learning, and when she is not working, she enjoys reading, working out, and sunshine. She is currently addicted to audio books.

Presentation OverviewDeb struggles to recall a time when gastrointestinal (GI) issues have not been a part of her life, including stomach aches as a child, especially when over-tired or stressed, torn rectal tissue from straining and constipation, and worsening bouts of nausea, constipation, and diarrhea that seemed to have no rhyme or reason. By early college, she never went anywhere without her trusty bottle of Pepto Bismol, a pack of gum, and a container of Tic Tacs. Read full overview

Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea- Lisa Strykowski

Presentation OverviewAround 1999, when Lisa was 19 years old, she started experiencing IBS-D symptoms, which included diarrhea, nausea, urgency, cramping, bloating, tiredness, and migraines. Her gut would flare up a few times a week, mostly in the mornings. Her 15-minute commute to work would include 1-2 bathroom stops along the way.  Read full overview

Recorded Discussion on Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Session 3 Group – Supplemental Release (TBD)

Session 4: Keynote Lecture

History of FGIMDs- Douglas Drossman
Dr. Doug Drossman

Dr. Drossman received his M.D. degree at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and his medical residency at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and NYU – Bellevue Medical Center.  He subspecialized in biopsychosocial medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and in Gastroenterology at the University of North Carolina.  Dr. Drossman was one of the first gastroenterologists to develop the field of brain-gut interactions and Neurogastroenterology. Read more

Irritable Bowel Syndrome Event
Dr Darren Brenner

Dr. Brenner is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Surgery in the Division of Gastroenterology at Northwestern University and serves as Director of the Neurogastromotility, Co-Director of the Integrated Bowel Dysfunction program, and Director of the Motts Tonelli GI Physiology Laboratory. He is also an active Irene D. Pritzker Research Scholar.  Read more

Presentation Overview:  In the past, it has been argued that the body contains more microbial than human cells, but more recent research has debated this argument. In either case, trillions of microbes reside in the human body. The microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract is more diverse in adulthood and much of the growth occurs within the first three years of life. The relationship between human cells and organisms in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is mostly symbiotic, implying that each provides evolutionary benefits to the other. Less organisms are identified in the stomach than the colon. Read full overview

Physician Introduction on Helicobacter Pylori (H. Pylori) 

William Chey, MD, AGAF, FACG, FACP, RFF

H. Pylori with Dr. William Chey
Dr. William Chey

Dr Chey received a medical degree & training in internal medicine at Emory University School of Medicine. He completed a fellowship in gastroenterology and has remained as faculty at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor where he is currently the Timothy T. Nostrant Collegiate Professor of Gastroenterology & Nutrition Sciences.
His research interests focus on the diagnosis & treatment of disorders of gut brain interaction and H. pylori infection. Read more

Presentation Overview: For decades, stomach and duodenal ulcers were thought to be the consequence of excessive acid production by the stomach. Generations of patients were subjected to “sippy” diets, ineffective drugs with significant side effects, and life changing surgeries that left scars that affected more than their belly. That all changed in 1983 with the discovery of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) by Barry Marshall and Robin Warren from Australia. Read full overview

SIBO- Tina Aswani

Tina Aswani Omprakash is a Functional Gastrointestinal and Motility Disorders (FGID) patient and health advocate based in New York City. She has had FGIDs for as long as she can remember and has had numerous surgeries due to her Crohn’s disease. Tina maintains a blog and advocacy platform called Own Your Crohn’s (http://ownyourcrohns.com) and  Read more

Recorded Discussion on Bacteria in the GI Tract

Session 5 Group – Supplemental Release (TBD)

Sunday, November 7, 2021

Session 6: Medical Education Session: Treatment Options

Session 6 (a)

Session 6 (b)

Session 6 (c)

Treatment for Esophageal Disorders - Dr Ronnie Fass 2020
Dr. Ronnie Fass

Ronnie Fass, MD, is the Medical Director of the Digestive Health Center, Chairman of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and head of the Esophageal and Swallowing Program at the MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland Ohio. He is also a tenured professor of medicine at Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Fass did his internship and residency in internal medicine at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, where he later became a Chief Resident.  Read more

Presentation Overview: GERD treatment: Antacids – Were the standard treatment in 1970’s. They are effective in controlling mild symptoms of GERD. They are commonly taken after meals and at bedtime, usually in response to heartburn symptoms. They are good for immediate effect, but not so effective for prevention or healing esophageal inflammation. Read full overview

Disorders of the stomach - Michael Camilleri
Dr. Michael Camilleri

Michael Camilleri is a consultant in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and is Professor of Medicine, Pharmacology, and Physiology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. His research interests include clinical enteric neurosciences, gut neurohormonal control, obesity, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and pharmacology and pharmacogenomics; his work is funded by National Institutes of Health. Read more

Presentation Overview: This is a review of the current evidence of the effectiveness of drugs (unapproved by the Food and Drug Administration), potentially used for the treatment of gastroparesis and dyspepsia. The surgical approaches reviewed in this abstract, are endoscopic gastric per-oral endoscopic myotomy (G-POEM) and sleeve gastrectomy for gastroparesis. Read full overview

Treatment for small and large intestine - Brian Lacy
Dr. Brian Lacy

Brian E. Lacy, Ph.D., M.D., FACG is currently Consultant and Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville. He previously worked at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center where he was Section Chief of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Professor of Medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. 

Dr. Lacy’s clinical and basic science research interests focus on disorders of gastrointestinal motility, with an emphasis on irritable bowel syndrome, achalasia, dyspepsia, gastroparesis, acid reflux disease, constipation, intestinal pseudo-obstruction and visceral pain. Read more

Presentation Overview: This session reviews the most common functional and motility disorders of the small and large intestine and evaluates both current pharmacologic treatment and current surgical options. 

Pelvic floor disorders - Satish Rao
Dr. Satish Rao

Professor Satish Rao is the J. Harold Harrison, MD, Distinguished University Chair in Gastroenterology and Founding Director of the Digestive Health Center and Digestive Health Clinical Research Center and Director, Neurogastroenterology/Motility and tenured Professor of Medicine at Augusta University, USA.  He served as the Chief, Division of Gastroenterology/Hepatology, Director, GI Service line and GI Fellowship Program Director. Previously, he was Professor of Medicine & Director, Neurogastroenterology/motility at University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa. Read more

Presentation Overview:  Anorectal and Pelvic floor disorders affect 25% of the population and cause significant distress including effects in quality of life. This includes many conditions such as dyssynergic defecation, and fecal incontinence, and rarely descending perineum syndrome, rectal mucosal intussusception/prolapse, solitary rectal ulcer syndrome and levator ani syndrome. First step is to take a detailed history.  Read full overview

Behavioral Treatments - Laurie Keefer
Dr. Laurie Keefer

Laurie Keefer, PhD is a Gastroenterology (GI) Health Psychologist and Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. She has a more than 20 years of experience in the development and implementation of behavioral therapies for chronic digestive disorders, including IBS, esophageal disorders and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Read More

Presentation Overview: Why do we use behavioral therapies in the management of GI conditions? There are two primary reasons why behavioral therapies are often used in GI conditions.  First, GI disorders do not happen in a vacuum- they can affect our entire life, not just our GI tract. Common concerns of GI patients include pain, shame, stigma, sadness, loneliness, fatigue, worry, fear of symptoms or the future and even medical trauma. Read full overview

Emily Haller, MS, RDN
Emily Haller

Emily Haller, MS, RDN is an expert in digestive health and medical nutrition therapy for gastrointestinal (GI) diseases. Emily works with the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at University of Michigan Health, Michigan Medicine where she provides individualized nutrition counseling to patients with a variety of GI conditions. Read more

Presentation Overview:  This talk highlights various diet interventions for several different gastrointestinal (GI) disorders including Celiac Disease,  Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), Functional Dyspepsia, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Gastroparesis, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), and Short Bowel Syndrome (SBS). Read full overview

Complementary and Alternative Medicine - Dr. Anthony Lembo
Dr. Anthony Lembo

Anthony J. Lembo, MD, is a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He also serves as the Director of the GI Motility Laboratory at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) Division of Gastroenterology in Boston, MA.

Dr. Lembo earned his undergraduate degree in mathematics at Amherst College in Amherst, MA and then received his MD from Tufts Medical School in Boston, MA. Read more

Presentation Overview: Complementary and alternative therapy (CAM) for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is very common around the world. Approximately 35% of the adult population in the United States uses CAM. Although further studies are needed to understand the risks, data suggests that there may be some benefits for IBS. In this presentation, Dr. Antony Lembo identifies the two main categories of CAM: natural products (e.g. dietary supplements) and mind-body medicine. He explains how these therapies are used to help patients manage IBS symptoms such as abdominal pain and discomfort, frequent diarrhea, functional constipation, and much more. 

Session 7: Open Panel Discussion: Nausea and Vomiting

Session 7 (a)

Session 7 (b)

Cannabid Hypermesis - Thangam Venkatesan
Dr. Venkatesan

Thangam Venkatesan, MD  is Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW). The primary focus of her clinical and scientific work is in disorders of cyclic vomiting i.e., cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) and cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS). She is director of the CVS program at MCW that serves patients from 48 states in the US, Puerto Rico and Canada.  Read more

Presentation OverviewCyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS)  is a chronic disorder of gut brain interaction  (DGBI) diagnosed by clinical criteria called Rome criteria as there are no biomarkers [blood tests or x-ray tests] that can be used to detect this condition. CVS is common and affects about 2% of the US population. CVS affects both sexes and can occur at all ages. CVS includes stereotypic episodes of severe nausea and vomiting that can last from a few hours up to a week. Read full overview

Physician Introduction: Dr, Brad Kuo
Dr. Brad Kuo

Dr. Braden Kuo is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Medical Director of the Center for Neurointestinal Health at the GI Unit of Massachusetts General Hospital at Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA, USA. He specializes clinically in Disorders of Brain Gut in gut motility and visceral hypersensitivity. He also conducts clinical and translational research with funding from the National Institutes of Health as well as foundations such as the American Gastroenterology Association and International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD). Read more

Presentation Overview: Nausea and vomiting are common upper gut complaints in patients. Nausea is defined as an unpleasant painless sensation frequently before vomiting but not always. It is associated with changes in gut nervous system which can cause associated sensations of sweating, rapid heart rate, and fainting. Nausea may serve as an early gut warning system. It is not pain but can be associated with pain. Nausea is also associated with motion sickness. Read full overview

CVS - James O'Reilly

James was born in Dublin, Ireland, 1970.  He moved to Cleveland, OH in 1978 and then the Queens/Long Island area in 1980. He went to school in Queens, NY from 4th grade to 12th grade and graduated from Martin Van Buren High School.  After, he graduated from Adelphi University as a Psychology major. 

He owns a swimming pool construction and service company.  He has been in that business for 29 years.  Read more

Gastroparesis - trisha bundy

Trisha is a proud parent and sports enthusiast from eastern North Carolina. She has 2 teenage children, currently 17 and 19 years old. She earned her Bachelor’s for Elementary Education from East Carolina University, married her high school sweetheart, and embarked on her dream career as an elementary teacher in 2000. In May of 2012, Trisha earned her Master’s in Reading Education from East Carolina University. She was an elementary school teacher for 16 years before having to resign due to her health.  Read more

Recorded Discussion on Nausea and Vomiting

Session 7 Group – Supplemental Release (TBD)

Complementary and Alternative Medicine - Dr. Anthony Lembo
Dr. Tony Lembo

Anthony J. Lembo, MD, is a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He also serves as the Director of the GI Motility Laboratory at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) Division of Gastroenterology in Boston, MA.

Dr. Lembo earned his undergraduate degree in mathematics at Amherst College in Amherst, MA and then received his MD from Tufts Medical School in Boston, MA. Read more

Presentation Overview: Chronic constipation carries a heavy burden on patients and society. It is estimated that 1 in 7 people are impacted by constipation, with Functional Constipation being the most common subtype.  In this presentation, Dr. Antony Lembo discusses common and symptoms alarm symptoms associated with constipation, the different subtypes, how constipation is diagnosed, and possible treatment options based on the patient’s diagnosis. 

Physician Introduction on Diarrhea

Brooks Cash, MD, AGAF, FACG, FACP, FASGE
diarrhea
Dr. Brooks Cash

Brooks D. Cash, MD is Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, where he is also the Dan and Lillie Sterling Professor of Clinical Gastroenterology at the University of Texas McGovern Medical School and the Endowed Director of the Chao-Ertan Directorship at Memorial Hermann Hospital Texas Read More

Presentation Overview:  Diarrhea is characterized by loose or watery stools and is often accompanied by increased stool frequency and/or fecal urgency. In addition to actual form of the bowel movement, clinicians should also ask patients what they mean by “diarrhea.” Many people use the term “diarrhea” to imply more frequent bowel movements and frequent defecation with normal consistency stool is not diarrhea, but rather pseudo-diarrhea. Read full overview

Erin Slater

Erin grew up in Voorhees, NJ and graduated from Eastern Regional High School. She spent all four years writing for the school’s Literary magazine, completed a book of poems, a novel, and wrote several short stories. She also volunteered at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, in Philadelphia, PA during all four years of high school, which inspired her to pursue a career in healthcare. Read more

Anne Sirota

Dena Sutton is a retired educator who worked at UCLA for over 25 years.  Dena was the director of a unit in teacher education that provided professional development opportunities for K-14 teachers.  Prior to working at UCLA, Dena was an elementary school teacher in Los Angeles for eight years. Dena is of Greek, French and Middle Eastern background and is immersed in Greek culture, dancing, teaching, researching and judging Greek folk dancing.  Greek dancing is where she met her current husband twenty years ago, and they love to travel together, especially to Greece! Dena is also the mother of two adult children and a grandmother of 5 children, ages 5 to 14.  Dena also loves to read and is a member of three book clubs.

Recorded Discussion on Constipation and Diarrhea

Session 8 Group – Supplemental Release (TBD)

Heartburn and Reflux Dr. John Pandolfino
Dr. John Pandolfino

Dr. Pandolfino is the Hans Popper Professor of Medicine and Chief of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University.  His career has focused primarily on studying the biomechanics of bolus transport and gastrointestinal motility as it pertains to gastroesophageal reflux and swallowing disorders.  Read more

Presentation Overview: Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is a condition that develops when the reflux of the stomach content causes troublesome symptoms and/or complications. GERD can be associated with various symptoms, but heartburn and regurgitation are usually the most common. Read full summary

eosinophilic esophagitis: Evan Dellon, MD
Dr. Evan Dellon

Evan S. Dellon, MD, MPH, is a Professor of Medicine and Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill. Dr. Dellon received his undergraduate degree from Brown University and his medical degree from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He completed internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.  He performed a clinical and a research fellowship in Adult Gastroenterology at UNC, during which he also received a Masters of Public Health degree in Epidemiology from the UNC School of Public Health. Read more

During this presentation, Dr. Dellon will explain what eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is specifically about the symptoms, what is usually found through an endoscopy, and the histology, which helps your provider make an accurate diagnosis. He will also discuss current treatment options for EoE as well as the long-term approach to EoE.

Luiz Yamashita

Luiz is a multimillion-dollar real estate broker helping individuals and institutional clients to achieve their goals. Luiz’s experience with real estate ranges from single real estate transactions to complex investment portfolios. Read more

Presentation Overview: Luiz gives the patient perspective on living with gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) including the importance of good communication with a healthcare provider

Eric Taylor

Eric is an Assistant Coach for the Saint Francis College men’s basketball team. He is a 13-year professional basketball veteran and speaks five languages. 

Presentation Overview:  Eric gives a patient perspective on being diagnosed with Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE) and the importance of listening to our body’s warning signs. 

Recorded Discussion on Heartburn and Reflux

Session 9 Group – Supplemental Release (TBD)
The International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders gratefully acknowledges Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, AbbVie Pharmaceuticals, and Takeda Pharmaceuticals for their generous support of the Nancy and Bill Norton Patient Education Series.
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IFFGD is a nonprofit education and research organization. Our mission is to inform, assist, and support people affected by gastrointestinal disorders.

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